The Legend of Zelda: The Three Stones
by Angela Shae
Summary: A cross between a novelization and an adaptation of the events of The Ocarina of Time. Relies heavily on the game in question, but goes its own way after the first few chapters. Also fills in some parts of the story not seen in the game that I keep in my personal timeline and canon.
1. War

_In a remote part of Kokiri Forest, there was a village. In that village there lived a boy. A boy who was tied forever to the destiny of Hyrule._

**War**

Civil war had broken out in Hyrule Kingdom. Tonight was the battle which would end the war one way or another. Gorons and Zora along with Hylians fighting Gerudos for ultimate control of Hyrule. The war had been long, but in the midst of the death and chaos, tides were turning. The Hylians were loosing.

"Zelda!," the King of Hyrule screamed as he attempted in vain to rescue his infant daughter. The siege on the castle had been underway for less than ten minutes, and before anything happened, the King needed to ensure his daughter, heir to the throne, was safe.

"Zelda," he shouted again as he broke through the handsome wooden door to his daughter's room. He grabbed the infant from the crib in which she lay peacefully asleep. As he did so, Din's Fire hit the wall where she had been the instant before, destroying it and bringing rubble down where Zelda had just lay sleeping.

Zelda's mother was already dead. She had died in the initial wave that had been thrown over the battlements by the Deku. Lizallof Soldiers who had been allied with the Gerudo began crashing down the gates and no sooner had they done so then arrows were flying like dust in the air, killing nearly thirty people on site, including Zelda's mother. No sooner had the first wave been sent before Gerudos were summoned from Death Mountain Valley and the Sheikah Warriors came back to join forces and retaliate.

It was a Sheikah who found the king running down the stairs with the baby Zelda in her hands. Gerudo warriors had managed to break the castle wall defenses and were closing in on the father and daughter. Ishka, Zelda's guardian and godmother, took the infant and started to go to the stables, hoping to escape with the child to Kakariko Village. But as they reached the stables, they saw it go up in a magnificent explosion.

"This is the end," thought Ishka, as Gerudos closed in from all sides, allied with numbers of evil spirited creatures. Animated ReDead and Deku were closing in.

"We have to get to the Fairy's Fountain," Impa told the King. "It's the only way out of here."

"Go!," was his only response. Ishka had barely moved however before an arrow struck her square in the heart. Time seemed to stop for the King as he saw Ishka die, but Zelda was more important right now. Somehow the baby managed to land safely in the bloodstained grass of the Castle Yard, but the King could do nothing, being involved in a swordfight with a Gerudo.

However, his moment of hesitation had allowed his opponent to take the upper hand. He felt the blade slice through his leg, and fell backwards. He could not make out the face of his attacker, but it would not matter. He closed his eyes, hoping Death would be quick. The King heard a whiz of an arrow, and was spared death's hand for a fraction longer.

He opened his eyes once more to see the body of his foe struck down beside him. Another challenger came, but someone blocked his incoming sword. A Gerudo.

Ganondorf.

"Take the baby," the king yelled, caring about nothing else. "Take the baby to the Fairy's fountain. She will know what to do." The Gerudo warrior turned to the ailing King, then to the sleeping infant laying in the grass.

He first took the baby, cradling it in one arm. Then he took the king holding him with the other, And began to ran down the Castle Courtyard to the doorway of the Fairy's Fountain. All around were screams, death cries. Arrows whizzed by like lightning and explosions from bombs and powder kegs alike. The Gerudo was running with remarkable agility, and arrived at the doorway within minutes. But as he entered, an arrow hit him in the stomach.

The Gerudo felt the pain. Felt the arrow pierce through his skin, the wet warm blood spill out of his torso. But he moved onwards. He entered the fountain, placing the King and Zelda at the Fairy's alter. Ganondorf slumped, and saw the beautiful Fairy appear.

"Protect them," Ganandorf told the fairy, the words slurring as he started to lose conscience. Another arrow struck the warrior.

The fairy took the infant child, placed it to the side in a protective bubble, shielded from the agony of war. It fell asleep, peacefully, unaware of the crimes of war happening around it. The Fairy then turned to the King and the Gerudo, healing them. In this instant, the heat of the repairing spell filled the wounds of Ganandorf, and he felt at peace, allowing himself to fall unconscious. But in the final moments before he left the world to sleep, the Gerudo felt something else. Something he would not easily forget.

Power.


	2. Ten Years Later

**Ten Years Later**

The small treehouse at the edge of the village was famous amongst the Kokiri. The treehouse with the Abandoned Boy. Everyone knew the story of Link. How ten years ago, a woman came through the forest, begging for assistance. She had fled from Hyrule Castle a few days earlier when the Castle was being sieged by Gerudo Troops. The Kokiri took her to the Great Deku Tree, who knew she was dying. The Tree ordered the children to save the life of the unborn child within her, a task which took days for the inexperienced Kokiri. When the baby had been delivered, the Kokiri showed it to the mother. The Mother simply looked at the baby, and said one word, "Link." With that last breath, she died, and the name Link was bestowed upon the infant.

All the Kokiri helped in raising the Abandoned Boy Link. Of course there were those who refused to take any part in his upbringing, but most of the Kokiri raised Link like one of their own. At nine Link went through the Kokiri Ritual of Passage in the Lost Woods, making him one with the Forest. No one knew, however, that the boy they had raised was one of the last descendants of the legendary knights of Hyrule. No one knew that he was integral to the ancient legends of the sacred Triforce, and of time itself.

But one suspected it. There is a bond that forms between friends that allows them to understand each other in ways that logic cannot explain. Such was the bond between Link and Saria. The two children grew up like brother and sister, always spending time with each other, playing together in the Lost Woods without the permission of Saria's parents. Together, they discovered the Fairy's Ocarina in the Lost Woods one day.

The Fairy's Ocarina was something of a legend amongst the Kokiri. It is believed to have been carved of wood from the Great Deku Tree himself, and was said to contain magical properties. Saria and Link spent days playing it, trying to tap into this legendary power, but they had no success. In the end, Link decided it should be Saria's since she had originally found it but throughout the years they tried to tap its secrets.

Now Link was ten, and today was the day when his life would change forever. The day when he had to answer Destiny's call, and take his rightful place in Legend. But the young Link did not know that. He did not know that as he sat down to breakfast, the Great Deku tree was speaking to the fairy Navi. That as he went outside with his wagon to work on the harvest, the fairy Navi was flying towards him at inconceivable speeds.

It was as Link set down his tools that the fairy came up to him.

"HEY," it said to the boy. "Link! right?"

"Uh, yes," Link responded.

"The Great Deku tree has asked that you entertain an audience with him immediately"

"The great Deku... What?."

"Come quickly!"

Link hesitated, but only for a moment. He immediately pulled his thoughts together and went inside to gather his things.

"Hurry," the fairy said.

"I'm coming," was Link's hurried response.

He collected his slingshot, and some food, and immediately rushed out the door to where he knew the Great Deku Tree was. He was at at the edge of the forest when he heard–

"LINK"

Link spun around to see Mido standing there.

"Where do you think you're going," Mido demanded.

"The Great Deku Tree. Look Mido I don't have time for this."

"Time for this? What business do you have with the Great Deku Tree."

"He was summoned, fairy boy," Navi said. "You have no business questioning the orders of the Great Deku Tree."

"What right do you have to talk to me, fairy?"

That was it for Navi. Without another word she sped towards Mido and started to shred his clothes. Then she began to shred his skin until–

"STOP!"

It was Link. Navi looked at Link.

"It's not worth it," Link said. He turned and began to continue to the Tree.

Link heard Navi give Mido a quick hiss, and then the two adventurers sped towards the Great Deku Tree. Navi was in a hurry, and Link did not know why, but he ran as fast as he could to keep up with her.

It was nearly noon by the time Link had reached the Great Deku Tree. He was nearly out of breath, and took a moment to sit down. He did not notice the majestic tree before him until it spoke his name.

"Link," it said. "The Abandoned Boy, I hear they call you."

Link was taken off guard for a moment. It took a moment for him to find his voice in the Tree's presence.

"Yes, Great Deku Tree."

The Tree sighed. "How little they know," it said to itself.

"What do you–," Link asked.

"You were not abandoned, Link," the Great Deku Tree continued. "But this is not the time to learn your story."

"The why am I here," the young boy asked.

"I require your help Link. A terrible curse has been placed on me by a man possessed of the evil of power. He came seeking a treasure of the Kokiri, and placed this curse on me to force me to give it to him.

"I did not give in to his requests, so he left me here to die. I need you, Link, to go into the caverns within me and vanquish the curse that has been placed upon me."

"But what can I do. I am just a boy."

"You are not just a boy. You are descended from a race of proud and powerful warriors. This is in your blood, Link. I know you can do this."

"I don't even have a sword. Or any sort of weapon. How am I to–?"

But the Great Tree did not respond with words. At the base of his trunk, a great chasm opened. Link approached it cautiously, and saw at the edge of the entrance a chest that was handsomely decorated with jewels and made of wood that felt as old as time itself.

Link opened the chest. Its hinges creaked with age, yet held firm as the lid was opened completely. Link reached down into the deep black chasm, and pulled out the legendary Kokiri Sword and a shield made of tough wood.

"This is ancient, Link," Navi said. "The trees from which this was hewn came do not even grow anymore."

Link held the sword and shield in his hands. They felt heavy, but not with weight. Link felt their history, and he suddenly felt connected somehow to an ancient force. Something innate in his blood. He took the sword and shield in his hand, and ventured forth into the dark chasm of the Great Deku Tree.


	3. The Beast of the Great Deku Tree

**The Beast of the Great Deku Tree**

The inside of the Great Deku Tree was dark. All around him, Link could hear the sounds of creatures, mysterious noises that made him extremely uncomfortable to stand. He wanted to look behind him, but at the same time was too scared to move forward. Navi provided a little bit of light, but the darkness overpowered it, as if it was itself drawing the light, forcing it out before it naturally fell dim.

Link walked forward into the darkness. It only took a few paces before he heard a loud scuffle, and turned out of instinct to look behind him. A large, bright yellow eye was staring at him, isolated in the darkness. The eye moved towards him, floating above him, and then fell right in front of him, revealing the large shape of the beast it belonged to.

Before Link stood a large spider, or at least it resembled a spider. It stood on it's hind legs and a large stinger was pointed at Link. But it wasn't long before all of a sudden, the creature, whatever it was, thrust itself at Link, and threw him into darkness. Link hit a wall, and fell to the ground, but got up and began to attack the spider.

But once again the creature threw him against the opposing wall. Along with Link fell a massive avalanche of rocks, covering him in dirt and grime. Link's sword fell away from him, and was on the opposite side of the cavern, so he availed himself of a rock and threw it at the creature.

The rock stunned it for a moment, but it quickly came towards Link again. He threw another rock at it, this time hitting it squarely in the eye.

What happened next surprised Link, as the creature's eye turned a bright vivid red, and the creature appeared stunned for a moment. But Link was stunned too, unable to comprehend what had happened. In this hesitation, the creature moved again, reaching Link, and throwing him again to the other side of the cavern.

As he landed, he felt his arm suddenly becoming soaked, wet with fresh blood. However, Link was nearer to the sword, and began to try and think of a way to get to it.

"Hey listen!," Navi said, piercing the silence of the dark cave. "It seemed to be stunned when you hit it in the eye with a rock. Maybe if you do that again"

"Yes, Navi, I know. It's the sword I need to get to."

The fairy looked at him, and he looked at her, and they understood each other. Navi flew towards the beast, distracting it while Link thrust himself towards his sword, picking up a stone from the ground as he did so. He threw it at the creature, stunning it, and then charged, slashing away with the sword.

The creature came too quickly, and instead of tossing Link once again, stabbed him in the stomach with it's stinger, but this opened up the creatures underside, and Link with his sword slashed at it, causing the creature to fall back, bleeding. With one final draw of strength, Link threw his sword at the creatures eye, stabbing into its brain.

The moment was silent, frozen, almost, and then the creature fell dead. A moment after that it began to dissolve into ash, and the cavern began to slowly light up. But Link at this point barely had strength to keep awake, and as the cavern lightened, his eyes darkened, and he slumped over, unconscious.

It was half light by the time Link came to. The sun was on the horizon, and it took Link a moment to determine the sun was setting. The Great Deku Tree towered over him as he came to.

A few moments later and with great effort, Link sat up, attempting to gain composure. It took a while for him to be able to pay attention to his surroundings, and as though the Great Deku Tree knew Link was able to listen, it spoke.

"You did well, Link," the Tree spoke. "Rest. You have a long journey ahead."

Link began to speak, but the Tree answered his question before he could ask it.

"Yes, you were successful. The curse has been lifted. But your journey is not over yet. Tell me Link, how much do you know about the history of Hyrule?"

"Not much. Just the legends of the Lost Woods."

"Then pay attention Link. It is time you learned of the history of this land."

"Why?"

"Because, Link. You must understand history and legend of Hyrule in order to save Hyrule."

This caught Link off guard. But the Tree now had his undivided attention, as he listened to the story of the creation of Hyrule.

"At the beginning, before the world was as it is, there were three Goddesses. They were known as Din, Nayru, and Farore. They descended upon the chaos that was, and brought order to the realm now known as Hyrule.

"Din, with her powerful arms and strength, carved the shape of the world, creating the material realm. Nayru, with her wisdom, created order in the world, providing a sense of law to the world. And Farore, with her love, poured her soul into the lifeforms that would govern and uphold the law of the world.

"Done with their toils, the three goddesses left Hyrule, left behind three sacred triangles, known to this land as the Triforce. The Trifoce has become the source of wisdom and providence for the people of Hyrule. The resting place of these triangles is now known as the Sacred Realm, and is guarded by the Seven Sages of the Ancient Times.

"As of late Link, there has been an unsettling in the spirit and balance of nature," the Tree told Link. "I am tasking you, Link, to take a message to the centre of Hyrule, to the castle. Go there, and search for a young girl, the Princess of Destiny. Give this to her, and tell her I sent you. She will know what to do.

"Take with you the sword and shield. They will aide you in your quest."

Another chest appeared in front of the tree. Somehow, it appeared to be even older than the one which contained the sword and the shield. Link opened it, to find a large, deep green coloured emerald.

However, as Link was admiring the stone, he suddenly heard a loud, deep creaking. He looked up at the Great Deku Tree, and saw the leaves fall from its branches. The Tree began to grey, as if it was growing a thousand years in the space of a moment.

"Good luck Link. Destiny rests with you."

With those words, The Great Deku Tree died. Link stood there, staring at it, for how long he did not know. It was Navi's soft words that pulled him back to Earth.

"Let's go. There is nothing more to be learned here."

Navi began to fly away. Link began to follow, and at the edge of the trees, looked back one last time at the Great Spirit of the Forest.

"Goodbye," Link said softly to the Forrest.

And with that he turned and ran, not looking back. His path lay in front of him, and he did not have the time to dwell on Death.


End file.
